<p>I have enough AP and community college credits to complete an EECS degree in 2 years at Berkeley (assuming I take 5 classes every semester). I think I have the work ethic and capability to handle such a courseload, but I'm worried that finishing Berkeley in 2 years may limit me in terms of social experiences/parties/etc., making long-term friendships, or getting active in clubs.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any insight/experience regarding this matter?Any input would be appreciated! Thanks!</p>
<p>I will give you my fullest respect if you manage to finish it in 3 years.</p>
<p>I’m entering Berkeley with 44 units under my belt already.</p>
<p>Well, it’s possible for sure - I think I know someone who did it. He didn’t get the topmost grades, etc necessarily, but is sharp. I think the issue with this is that you have to be really sure what you want out of your education, and that likely should not include grad school.</p>
<p>Plenty of people come in with a ton of credits and knowledge, but the chance to experiment for 4 years is not to be taken lightly with respect to “getting your stuff together”.</p>
<p>Why not grad school afterward? It’s definitely something I’m considering at this point.</p>
<p>It’s possible. But you only have 44 units. That’s below average for a 3 year track.</p>
<p>(I personally came in with 60+ units, along with many many other Berkeley students)</p>
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<p>Because you won’t figure out what you want to do, get significant enough research experience, or do very much convincing to show admissions officers that you may want to spend 6 long years of your life after undergrad researching strange, specialized topics in EECS (or another field) if you spend your first year clearing basic EECS requirements, and a second year just barely getting exposed to topics of interest. EECS is hard stuff, and just because you take 5 classes and make it through them doesn’t mean you’re absorbing everything exceptionally well. It takes a long time to develop your interests and skills so that you can make a convincing case. </p>
<p>If you just want a degree so you can do some basic work afterwards, that’s a different story.</p>
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<p>44 units would mean I need 76 units to graduate. At a normal average of 15 units a semester, it would take me 2.5 years to graduate if I go 16 units in one semester, or at most, 3 years if I go lower than 15 units a semester, so this puts me above average for a 3 year track, no? I agree though, 44 units is not enough for an optimal 2 year track, but I guess it’s also about which classes one has already completed or is exempted from as well.</p>
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<p>This makes lots of sense. I think it makes more sense to pursue a double major with my spare time at Berkeley and continue researching to expand interests. Or would it be better to just continue taking more upper division EE/CS courses after completing all the requirements for the degree and not pursue a double major?</p>
<p>Thanks a bunch for all your advice, it’s really helpful.</p>
<p>Honestly, I’m not an EECS or even an engineering major, but what’s your rush? I can understand money issues, but you might want to think twice about pushing yourself super hard just to get “out there”–and do what? Work? Intern? Most people do this anyway AND have 4-5 years of fun college experience to look back on. And by college experience I’m talking about things that you may not even know you missed by graduating early. Things that could limit you later or you may simply realize that you passed up. I’m talking about internships, research projects and other opportunities that may not be available in the next two years but perhaps in 2013 Cal hires an amazing new CS prof who WOULD’VE changed your life/been the most epic mentor ever but you didn’t have had the chance to meet him. Obviously you can’t predict the future, but i’d advise giving your self the largest window possible to be exposed to these things while being in the safe learning bubble of the university. Also, what happens if you push yourself too hard in those classes and either 1. bomb your gpa or 2. suddenly realize you completely (or generally) hate the topic and would’ve rather focused your attention somewhere else? it sounds like you’re pretty interested in the field which is a good thing, but again, what is the hurry? All the rest of us are doing it in four years and going on to be just as successful, with arguably more maturity, friends, and hours of sleep under our belts to boot.</p>
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<p>Never get fixated on exactly what major to do to look good - figure out WHAT you want to look good FOR. And that’s not just “I want to do grad school in EECS” - try actually figuring out what topics you like.</p>
<p>Chances are, if you want to do a PhD in EECS coming in as a frosh, you shouldn’t do it. That’s right, I am discouraging you. Doing grad studies should be an option you should undertake if you really cannot use your time more wisely, not as an option to pursue just because you think it sounds nice, because you’ll find the only way you get something out of that much schooling is if you really ask some serious questions to yourself about why you want to do it.</p>
<p>Thus, what I’d focus on is: a) learn fundamental things so you get started on the right foot, b) sample enough courses and all so you figure out some things you’re interested in more specifically, c) figure out if you were wrong about liking those things, d) continue on with what you feel good about. </p>
<p>This could be a strange combo of Biotech and EECS, EE and material science, etc, etc - you never know. There’s a ton of stuff out there, and give it all due consideration. Grad school is if you have a vision to study certain stuff in extreme detail, and it’s highly unnecessary to undertake it unless you have a good reason.</p>
<p>Well the thing with taking all the required upper div EECS classes all packed together like that is that you will get OWNED. There are the project classes (2 of which are required, + 162 ie OS if you’re option General CS) which, if you take all together at once (or even just 2 in one semester + 3 other classes), you are unlikely to be doing anything but CS that semester, ie failing your other 3 classes. Or failing your project classes.</p>
<p>Of course, you could also be a genius, but even then it’s not easy stuff.</p>
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<p>It’s easier if you’re not taking classes like 162. If you choose to take those at all, then you’re possibly a little screwed. I don’t think genius or not, it’s very feasible to take a million project classes at once, because at a certain point you have to do the work, and that takes time by itself.</p>
<p>…where it does NOT belong…</p>
<p>Bludgeon: take it easy, enjoy your college - EECS at Berkeley is a privilege. You are NEVER EVER going to be a Freshman,Sophomore, Junior, Senior in College again let alone at Berkeley EECS. </p>
<p>May I suggest that you consider your first year as your “test year” and look around and then if you are still convinced that you want to finish in two years, by all means, it would be your CONSIDERED opinion then as opposed to perhaps, perhaps, a sort of I-am-in-a-hurry decision.</p>
<p>Life is tough enough so, unless you have, as others have suggested, a reason you do not wish to share, then go ahead: it can be done, otherwise, what, if I may ask, is the hurry to join the rat race???</p>
<p>As noted above, the fact that you’re entering with 44 units doesn’t make you in any way special. I wouldn’t be surprised if that were the average for people entering EECS here, and people don’t graduate early that often.</p>
<p>As implied above, too, you appear to be under the mistaken impression that EECS here is easy, or the probably-mistaken impression that it will be easy for you because you are smarter than the average Cal engineer and that the general trends do not apply to it. The former is almost objectively untrue, and the latter is very probably untrue.</p>
<p>Also worth noting is that taking 5 major classes per semester for EECS is even harder than it would be for almost any other major here, because the EECS workload per unit is far higher than for any other major.</p>
<p>…and see above for the reasons why doing college in 2 years is, a general rule, stupid.</p>
<p>I once graduated with an EECS degree in like 2 months.</p>
<p>Then I woke up.</p>
<p>First of all, I can see 44 units being a little higher than the average a Berkeley engineer normally comes in with. But if you’ve looked at the course requirements for EECS, then you know there a lot of prereqs for upperdiv classes and I don’t see how it’s possible to complete that path in 2 years. 3 years is possible, but even if you used all your APs and community college credits, it’ll be a tight squeeze. I skipped Math 1A, 1B, Physics 7C, and I’m using my APs for the max 2 humanities courses I need. If you’ve looked at the humanities requirement even, you must take 6 courses at Berkeley so you’d be doing an average 1.5 humanities only every semester. The next issue is the difficulty as others have pointed out. Anything CS-related is pretty time-consuming and any EECS class is above average difficulty. Don’t kill yourself here.</p>
<p>I’m coming in with many more credits. Breadth requirements and major requirements are definitely going to take more than two years without summer classes.</p>
<p>The reason I even considered doing it in 2 years was that I’ve already completed Physics 7A and 7B, Math 1A, 1B, 53, and 54, CS 61B, RNC A, along with some of the other requirements, which meant that I could jump to the higher level, upper division classes much sooner. I also had it planned out such that some requirements overlapped (i.e. American Cultures and Humanities, or CS Social Implications and Humanities), which made everything much simpler.</p>
<p>However, I’m not going to be ignorant, so four years with a little branching out it is :). Thanks everyone for all your input!</p>
<p>I could feasibly do it in 2.5 years (I’m EECS) if I wanted to take that many fewer classes (and summer courses).</p>
<p>I’d much rather take many extra courses in EE or CS, and minor in math and physics, as opposed to doing it in less time and risking getting less out of it.</p>
<p>How did you pass out of 7C? CC credits? With AP Physics C, even though I got a 5 on the E&M, I only pass out of 7A.</p>
<p>I’m actually taking it easy, starting off slowly so that I can start with a good GPA, and then still have time to minor in math and physics.</p>
<p>I came here with 69 units and had just over 100 units by the time I finished my freshman year. But I am in no hurry whatsoever because there are too many classes I want to take and 4 years is too short. If I graduate with 200 units, I honestly don’t care.</p>